IAEA: Iran's Enriched Uranium Reserves Below Permissible Limit in Nuclear Agreement

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced in its latest report on Iran's nuclear program on Friday, March 6, that the amount of enriched uranium reserves in Tehran is below the permissible limit set in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). According to Reuters, the report states that 'as of February 18, 2017 (30 Bahman), Iran's enriched uranium at 3.67% was approximately 101.7 kilograms of uranium-235.' The amount of enriched uranium that Iran is allowed to possess under the agreement with six world powers is 300 kilograms of hexafluoride gas, equivalent to 202 kilograms of uranium-235. Thus, based on the IAEA's report on Friday, Iran's current uranium reserves are half of the permissible ceiling set in the JCPOA. The recent report to the Board of Governors is the first since Donald Trump, a staunch critic of the agreement, took office as President of the United States. The report adds that Iran has also complied with restrictions regarding sensitive materials. In its November report, the agency stated that Iran's heavy water reserves had slightly exceeded the established ceiling. Since then, Iran has reduced its reserves in this area to 124 tons, according to the IAEA's report on Friday. The established ceiling for Iran's heavy water reserves is 130 tons. The report also noted that 'Iran has not engaged in any uranium enrichment or related research and development activities' at the Fordow facility. Reza Najafi, Iran's permanent representative to the agency, told the Fars news agency after the report's release that this is Amano's first report published in 2017 and 'once again confirms that all of Iran's nuclear activities are proceeding within the framework of the JCPOA.' He added, 'Overall, the report is mostly similar to the previous one, with only technical developments added since the last report.' Iran and the six world powers signed an agreement in Vienna last July, under which Tehran halted many of its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions against Iran. The new U.S. president, who took office on January 20, has called this agreement one of the 'worst' examples he has seen. Although he mentioned tearing up the JCPOA during the campaign, he has not announced a clear approach on this matter in the past month. However, some U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, have stated that the agreement will undergo a thorough review. Iran has rejected any revision of the JCPOA, calling it an international agreement.